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She leaned a little closer as we posed for a photo. “The offer still stands, Memphis. We need a librarian and you’d be perfect.”
I took my diploma and switched my tassel to the other side of my graduation cap. “I already accepted a job. Thank you, though.”
She sighed before pulling me in for a hug. “You’re going to do great things wherever you go. Stay in touch.”
I squeezed her back and then hurried down the opposite stairs to wait for the rest of the graduating class to finish their walks. I was so excited for the program to be over so I could run and find my family. I was the odd person out in my class, being over a decade older than almost every single student there, and I was finally done. I would no long find myself stuck in a group project with a girl crying over a prick who treated her despicably. I’d no longer find myself getting the stink eye when I told her that said prick was a prick and she should find better because, of course, they got back together. I just wanted to be with my men and our kids.
With Maggie being five, the conversation was starting to include talk of boyfriends, but it was still all play, thankfully. I’d have several more years before I had to start dealing with my own daughter talking herself in circles over crappy boys. I just hoped she paid attention to the way her fathers treated me and expected the same amount of respect and love. Judging by the attitude she was capable of showing, I was pretty sure we were safe.
When the last name was read and the ceremony finished, I did my best to not plow through the crowd. I was carrying precious cargo and had to act accordingly, even though all I wanted to do was jump on someone’s back and demand they carry me to my men.
That precious cargo was a big secret I was keeping from everyone. After Maggie, we’d had William less than a year later. There’d basically been no recovery time. I hadn’t minded, but the guys were a lot less stressed when I wasn’t pregnant. We still had to have three kids in five years, but they were okay with taking a longer break. That wasn’t in the cards, though. Four months after William was born, I found out I was pregnant with our third baby, Elizabeth. We’d had our three kids and that was supposed to be it, at least for a long time.
Three babies under five was a lot. If there hadn’t been four of us, I wasn’t sure we would’ve made it. Even with four adults to three kids, it was hell at times. Everyone had gotten a lot more comfortable with bodily fluids that weren’t their own, unfortunately.
Elizabeth was supposed to be older when, or if, we decided to get pregnant again. I was supposed to stay not pregnant for long enough for the guys to relax for a moment. Somehow, birth control had failed. I’d gone to Dr. Braddock after missing my period for three months, thinking we’d need to adjust the birth control. Finding out I was three months pregnant with twins had not been what I was expecting. That had been two weeks before graduation and I’d had too much on my mind to process the news. I was starting to show, however, and the guys were going to notice my belly soon.
I finally saw a parting of the crowd and hurried through it in the direction of my family. After what felt like forever, strong arms lifted me into the air and growled against my ear. Remy.
“You’re beautiful. I’m so proud of you.” He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me slowly, dragging it out until someone cleared their voice beside us.
Boone pushed Remy out of the way and lifted me into his arms. My gown and dress beneath didn’t let me wrap my legs around his waist the way I wanted, but he kissed my pouting lips and smiled against them. “I’m a lucky bastard to get to hold and kiss the smartest and prettiest woman here.”
“What’s a bastard, Mommy?” Maggie tugged at my hand and I wiggled away from Boone to scoop her into my arms. She looked identical to the few photos I had of myself from when I was her age, except she looked happy. Her eyes were bright and she almost always had a giant smile on her face.
“It’s a swear word. Remember what we talked about with swear words?” I leaned into Wells as he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close.
“Swear words are for adults and on special occasions, if it’sreallyimportant, a kid can say them.” She glanced around the auditorium. “This looks special, Mommy. Can I say shit now?”
William screeched from Knox’s arms. “Shit!”
I glared at Boone. “Boone Hawke, you better fix it.”
Knox handed William off and pulled me in for a big hug. “Proud of you. You’re a long way from Trailer Park Princess now, huh?”
Remy snorted. “She ran after a baby skunk a few days ago because she thought it was so cute. Barefoot, chasing a skunk, and doing what she describes as ‘hollerin’’, I don’t know if I’d say alongway…”
I smacked his arm and then kept my hand there as he flexed his muscles. I must’ve been smiling pretty goofily because both of them laughed at me. My composure around my men was something I’d lost a long while ago and had never gotten back so I wasn’t all that worried about looking silly. It was a daily thing.
“You look stunning, Memphis! Let me look at you!” Monica elbowed Knox out of the way and grabbed my arms. “You could’ve left your brother with a few more genes in the looks department, you know. Brains, too, for that matter.”
Knox tugged his wife into his chest and grunted at her. “You weren’t complaining about my looks or my brains this morning.”
I pretended to gag. “Not in front of the big sister who changed his diapers.”
Jackson poked his head into the conversation and grinned when I screamed in joy. He pushed his way to me and wrapped me in a giant hug, squishing Maggie in the process. “Little Fish, I’m so glad I could make it.”
Maggie let out a growl of her own and pushed at her Uncle Jackson. “Squishing me, Uncle Jack.”
He pretended he hadn’t noticed her and gasped. “Oh, my goodness! Magatha Christie, you were there all along? Why didn’t you say something?”
“That’s not my name, Uncle Jack!” She giggled and reached for him. “And Mommy isn’t a fish. She’s a mommy!”
He held her close and kissed the top of her head. “Your mommy had a hard name for me to say when I was little. I talked a little funny and-”
“You still talk funny.” She laughed with her head thrown back as she said it, beyond happy to have burned her uncle.
“Anyway! I couldn’t say Memphis. It always came out like Mem-fish. Then I shortened it to Fish and it just stuck. Just like Magpie is going to stick.” Jackson ruffled her hair and winked at me. “I brought you something special, Magpie. When we get to the house, I’ll give it to you.”
